CNN/Wired report that entrepreneur Elon Musk envisions a future where mag-lev trains in neumatic tubes can whisk passengers from New York to Los Angeles in 45 minutes.
3 Questions That Arise From This Story
1. Is it overly optimistic to assume that anyone can get anywhere in New York or Los Angeles in 45 minutes? We’re not saying that the trip sounds impossible, but rather based on viewings of the Celebrity Apprentice, very difficult, since C-list celebrities often can’t figure out to get between any two points in New York in that time.
2. What if you want to get from La Guardia to LAX? Would people actually pay money to travel between our two least favorite major airports in America in record time? Seriously, if people are traveling to New Jersey to go to the more glamourous airport, you have to wonder if they care about shaving four hours off their LGA-LAX flight time.
3. Who really needs to travel between NYC and LA in 45 minutes? This isn’t Phil Collins in Live Aid 1985. We’re not saying that this special tube will be available solely for rock or movie stars. We’re just asking, who else could be the market for this? p.s. 1985, was Phil Collins really the best act available to play on two continents for charity on the same day? Was ALF not available? We’re not saying ALF would have done a better job than Phil Collins, but we are saying that ALF would have been cheaper to transport between continents (through the use of imagination and two costumes).
